ulder to shoulder, their hearts
full of courage.

Like the mist that rolls from the crest of the mountains until no man
can see in front of him further than the cast of a stone, so did the
dust rise in clouds under the tread of the warriors' feet as they
marched across the plain.

Front to front did the two armies stand at last, and from the Trojan
ranks strode forth Paris the godlike, he who robbed Menelaus of her
who was to him most dear.

From the shoulders of Paris swung a panther's skin. He bore a curved
bow and sword, and, brandishing two bronze-headed spears, he
challenged all the chieftains of the Greek host to fight him, man to
man, in mortal fight.

As a hungry lion rejoices to see a great-horned stag coming to be his
prey, even so did Menelaus rejoice when he saw Paris, the
golden-haired and blue-eyed, stride proudly forth.

Straightway, in his armor, did Menelaus leap from his chariot to the
ground.

But when Paris saw him to whom he had done so sore a wrong, his heart
was smitten.

As a man who, in a mountain glen, suddenly sees a deadly snake and
shrinks away from it with shaking limbs, even so did Paris shrink back
among his comrades.

Scornfully did Hector his brother behold him.

"Fair in face thou art!" said Hector, "but shamed I am by thee! I ween
these long-haired Greeks make sport of us because we have for champion
one whose face and form are beautiful, but in whose heart is neither
strength nor courage. Art thou a coward? and yet thou daredst to sail
across the sea and steal from her husband the fair woman who hath
brought us so much harm. Thou shalt see what sort of warrior is he
whose lovely wife thou hast taken. Thy harp and thy golden locks and
fair face, and all the graces given to thee by Aphrodite, shall count
for little when thou liest in the dust! Cowards must we Trojans be,
else thou hadst been stoned to death ere this, for all the evil thou
hast wrought."

Then answered Paris:

"No word hast thou said that I do not deserve, brave Hector. Yet scorn
not the gifts of golden Aphrodite, for by his own desire can no man
win the love and beauty that the goddess gives. But let me now do
battle with Menelaus. Make the Trojans and the men of Greece sit down,
while Menelaus and I fight for Helen. Let him who is conqueror have
her and all that is hers for his own, and let the others take an oath
of friendship so that the Greeks may depart in peace to their own
land, and in peace the